


Lifetimes

by RevyDutch



Series: Avatar: The Legend of Rian [1]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Angst, Character Death, F/F, Korrasami - Freeform, Other, Post-Finale, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-04
Updated: 2015-03-04
Packaged: 2018-03-16 08:39:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3481607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RevyDutch/pseuds/RevyDutch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As she slipped away from her, Asami's world went silent. In the distance, a newborn cries her first breath. A prologue to Avatar: The Legend of Rian.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lifetimes

**Author's Note:**

> OH FUCK YES I FINALLY GET TO WRITE A BIT ABOUT MY “NEXT AVATAR” STORY GET HYPE. 
> 
> Consider this a kind of preview and it might actually end up in the story one day, the only difference being I probably won’t have the bit of backstory there but hey, who knows?
> 
> Basically, enjoy the prologue of Avatar: The Legend of Rian.

The war had raged four years too long at this point, the strains of battle weary on both ends. Zaofu was the final battleground, and it had again found itself ruined by the call of useless destruction. Almost immediately after the fall of The Great Uniter, a new force beckoned the call of power. Zhun Quan, a powerful noble from the western Earth Kingdom, felt it was now his time to pursue leadership in his crumbling home. Already a supporter of Kuvira, he knew his place in the world was to continue where she left off.

This, of course, created even more unrest in the waring kingdom. This time, however, the other nations saw it fit to intervene. After 70 years, a worldwide war commenced again. The Earth Kingdom was forced into conscription, and as a result formed an army stronger than the United Forces could even imagine. Even led by Avatar Korra, the world leaders were struggling to find stability in the Earth Kingdom, especially in the midst of a powerful threat.

Zhun was an extremely talented earthbender, even without the ability to lava or metalbend. That didn’t stop him from reigning with an iron fist. He was crueler than Kuvira, not afraid to use physical force against rebellions. It was not uncommon to suddenly find “undiscovered land” in the kingdom after his rise to power.

The past four years, Korra and the United Forces (with support from the Fire Nation and Water Tribe armies) fought Zhun valiantly, slowly pushing him out of his empire. This lead the war to finally settle in Zaofu, the only state in the kingdom able to keep him off for so long.

The battle between Korra and Zhun was more intense than anything the young Avatar had ever experienced. It was almost routine to be pushed down into the deep roots of the city, on both ends. Astonishing earthbending, almost too pure to comprehend, filled the eyes of the city with as much wonder as they had fear. Even more striking, was Korra entering the Avatar State. 

She banished Zhun with an incriminating voice. Her final moves crescendoing with her speech. As Korra started bending rocks from the earth to crush Zhun, her victory was cut short:

Zhun earthbended a spike from the ground, impaling Avatar Korra.

She immediately exited the Avatar State, and crashed to the ground. Clutching her stomach with one hand, she glared up at Zhun, a sadistic, death-calling grin on his laughing face. Regaining herself for one final blow, Korra clenched her open fist, crashing the boulders onto him, crushing him beyond recognition. This was when Korra finally accepted her pain.

~~~

_Hours earlier..._

~~~

“It’s a girl!” 

Asami gasped in relief. The last half hour felt like half a year, but at last she could hold her child in her arms. The baby felt a bit like a trophy; the battle outside in Zaofu did nothing to quell her stress as she delivered. Each explosion dropped a bomb in her body, and was so relieved to hear the healthy cries after the endeavor. The precious baby now given to her, Asami started to cry along with her.

“She’s perfect,” Asami whispered, cuddling as close to her child as she could. She turned to Mako, the godfather welcomed into the room. “Look at her, she’s perfect...” she whispered again, so proud of her creation. Mako smiled as he got a better look at the baby (cleaned up from all the blood at this point). The baby was an adorable blob of a human, as most newborns are. Born with a head full of black hair from Asami, she inherited the dark skin her other mother, Korra, bore. 

Now of course, two women cannot make a baby on their own, but with a little natural help from a close friend and some “Avatar magic” (as Bolin would put it, it was just “a little bit of casual spiritbending,” to Korra), a biological child between Korra and Asami was conceived. 

A friend close enough to donate his part, however, was something a bit harder to find. Spending weeks wondering if he was the right man, Korra and Asami were relieved when Mako agreed to father the baby. Since the war was coming to an end but still looming, it was decided Asami would carry the child. It wasn’t that Asami wasn’t playing her part in the war, it was more that engineering effective war technology in the background was much safer than fighting the front lines with an electric glove. 

Korra found herself able to stay home for a majority of Asami’s pregnancy; the United Forces were doing just fine pushing Zhun’s forces out of Earth Kingdom states. Lead by General Tankun, formally one of Lin Beifong’s second-in-commands in the Republic City Metalbending Police Force, the United Forces were stronger now than they ever were. They were on the brink of winning this war, they just needed to corner Zhun down. Hopefully, the Avatar wouldn’t even be needed.

It was during Korra’s time off from the army that she discovered other uses for spiritbending. Historically hating Jinora’s books, Korra found herself reading some interesting texts on the spirit world. She learned specifically about the Mother of Faces, a grand spirit that had the power to manipulate life. Not having time to actually visit the spirit herself (the chances of a wolf popping up and leading her in a remote island village in the Fire Nation within the next nine months just wasn’t realistic), she read up on the many stories surrounding the mysterious “mother”. 

Her stories eventually led Korra to another Avatar, a long-forgotten earthbender no longer known by name. This Avatar went in search of the Mother of Faces to revive his dead daughter, her life taken from her much before her time. Traveling with his wife, the Avatar eventually found the Mother of Faces, and requested his selfish question. The Mother of Faces was at first outraged at his request, but after listening to his story and knowing his mark on the world, the Mother of Faces found forgiveness in the Avatar, and saw it right to grant his request. However, the body brought before the Avatar and his wife was nothing more than a lifeless shell. The Mother of Faces told them that was all she could do, and that the Avatar would have to do the rest. 

This particular earthbending Avatar a bit more spiritual than other earthbenders, he thought of an innovative idea to bring life back into his daughter. She was a product of both him and his wife, both physically and emotionally, which meant her spirit was a combined entity from both parents. He then tried it out, spiritbending his and his wife’s spirits into the shell of his daughter, and discovered his theory was true. His daughter woke up as if she was taking a long nap, not understanding why her parents were holding her so tightly.

Korra took this story to heart, and approached Asami in regards to doing something similar with their child. At first Asami was reluctant, worried more about the baby’s health than it’s lineage. However, as time passed and the due date was drawing nearer, Asami realized she _did_ have a sense of longing for the child to be part Korra as well. Korra then tried the same technique as the old Avatar, bending both her and Asami’s spirits into the unborn child, hoping that it worked.

Judging by the complexion on the baby, as well as her eyes, Asami concluded that Korra’s hypothesis was correct. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from her baby. She smiled so excitedly when she made a noise, and tenderly kissed her forehead when she fussed. There was nothing this moment, in this day, that could be ruined.

~~~

“General, don’t get up, you’re injured!” 

“Don’t tell me what to do, private. Know your goddamn place!” General Tankun, a fierce man with a temperament as stubborn as platinum, was sitting on a plain he bended. The battle had just ended, Avatar Korra was being rushed to the hospital, and Zaofu was in shambles. The large, burly man grunted as he tried to get up, but a missing foot can make you lose your balance. He quickly found some metal scraps from the broken domes and bended himself a prosthetic. Nothing permanent, but he could bend the metal foot to move with him, allowing him to walk. He got up in a huff, beginning his search for survivors.

In a secluded part of the city, closest to the where a majority of the fighting happened, Tankun found himself alone. Wondering if it was even worth it to call out to the battleground, Tankun plopped himself down, stroked the pointiest part of his beard, and sighed. He was definitely dedicated to the good of the people, but maybe he shouldn’t fight an uphill battle.

About to get up and continue the search elsewhere, he suddenly found his jacket being tugged on. He looked down and smiled. On his left was now a little boy, a toddler, nudging him to get his attention. He was bloodied and dirtied, a bandage wrapping the stump where his right hand should have been. Tankun picked up the boy, giving him what he wanted.

“What’s up, little guy?” He kindly asked the kid. The kid’s eyes started to swell up a bit as he pointed to a cave made out of rubble.

“Mama,” was all he said, his voice trembling. The water broke his tear sacks. He cried “Mama!” more and more into Tankun’s chest, and the General thought it best to follow the little boy’s directions. Already preparing himself for the worst, Tankun was relieved to find that “mama” was still alive. However, she wasn’t exactly in the best position. She was injured severely from the battle, a scrap of metal still sticking out from her shoulder and head. Lying on the ground covered in a blanket, the woman was also pregnant, and seemingly in intense pain.

“Oh no...” Tankun muttered. He put the boy down and went to the mother.

“Miss, are you alright? We can take you to safety, can you hold in your baby for a bit longer?” Tankun asked, he already knew the answer. The woman screamed in pain and Tankun sighed. First Aid didn’t cover childbirth.

“P-Please...” the woman cried. “Save them, forget about me!” she screamed, a contraction causing the sudden outburst. The child beside Tankun started to cry. He looked at him, put one hand on his shoulder and the other hand on the woman’s stomach.

“I promise you, I will protect these kids.” He declared, cracked his knuckles, and began his attempt at delivering a child. 

~~~

Asami’s heart first fluttered when she heard Korra was back at the hospital, but it instantly sank when she found out it wasn’t to see her. 

“ _KORRA!!”_ Asami heart-wrenchingly screamed as she saw Korra, barely alive, being live operated on, and hooked up to a ventilator. Being in an ICU, Korra couldn’t have anyone in the room with her, but that didn’t stop Asami from trying. With tears streaming down her face, she had to be held back by Mako and Bolin, struggling tirelessly until she realized it was hopeless. She started begging the doctors to let her in, using any excuse she could, including their newborn daughter. Alas, it was to no avail, and Asami sat on the ground, defeated. 

Opal, whom Asami handed the baby over when she decided to fight, came up behind her and offered her child back to her. Asami grabbed her quickly and drew her close. A few moments later, a doctor emerged from Korra’s room to give some news.

“I can let you see her now,” She solemnly said, quietly. The look on her face gave Asami all the answers why. She stood up almost instantly, baby in arms, and ran into the room. 

When Korra saw her, she struggled but managed to put on her goofy grin. She was a mess, wounded, the bandages around her stomach still gushing out blood onto the white hospital bed sheets. Asami ran up to her and with one arm brought her close. The baby in Asami’s other arm, Korra brought up a hand to help cradle her.

This tender moment... if only it could last forever. Asami cried into Korra’s head, a tear falling down the Avatar’s face as well. Korra wouldn’t let her emotions ruin her face; she kept smiling the whole time. The family shared a silent moment.

_(“I-I think I can see the head!” a voice shouts in a distant part of the city. His voice is trembling in nervousness, for he has no idea what he is doing. Beside him, a toddler is crying, adding more to the stress of the situation. The mother screaming in pain, all the man can do is tell her to keep pushing...)_

“Let me hold her,” Korra’s voice was barely a whisper. Asami nodded, and handed the baby over to Korra. Her drooping face lit up when the baby fussed and opened her eyes, revealing a striking amber hue. Korra chuckled.

“Looks like you’re going to be dealing with a little flame head,” she said, looking directly at Asami. She sported a sad smile.

“You can blame Mako for that one,” she replied, tenderly. She cupped a hand around the baby as well now. A frown returned to her face.

“I know we agreed on a name,” Asami started to say.

“Don’t go naming anybody after me.” Korra quickly retorted, then clutched her stomach in pain as a result of using too much energy. 

“We agreed at the beginning that we’d name the kid after your parents,” Korra, calmed down, finished. Asami looked at her for a second, hating seeing her love in such pain, but then nodded. She smiled and looked at the baby.

“Yasuko it is, then.” She softly cooed to her now named child. Korra hugged Yasuko a little tighter now, but suddenly coughed up some blood, and gave her back to Asami. 

_(The screams can be heard from miles, pedestrians wondering what exactly is happening in the fourth district. “You’re almost there!” The voice exclaims. The toddler has stopped his crying, and now he is confused and worried about the situation. He sits there silently, nodding off actually, as most toddlers do. The man wipes his brow as he continues to do his best...)_

“Besides,” Korra said. “You can only name people after the dead, and i’m not dying any time soon.”

Asami looked at her in disbelief. She knew Korra was stubborn, but even _she_ had to know when her end was coming. Korra managed a small laugh at Asami’s face, knowing that even the genius engineer couldn’t figure it out.

“Did you forget i’m the Avatar?” she explained. Asami still didn’t get it. “I’m going to be reborn into someone else, so i’m not dying. I’m never truly dying.” Korra leaned in closer to Asami and Yasuko.

_(“Just a little more...”)_

“Asami, I want you to know something,” Korra’s voice returned to a whisper. Asami couldn’t hold back her tears any longer. “I want you to know that I will always love you, from this lifetime, to the next.” 

_(“Almost there!”)_

Asami held Korra closer than ever, and Korra started to lean up into a final kiss...

_(The sounds of a newborn baby wailing can now be heard from the fourth district.)_

As she fell, the world went silent for Asami.

~~~

“It’s a girl,” Tankun sighed, so relieved that he delivered this child safely. He quickly bended some nearby scrap metal into a sharp knife, and cut the umbilical cord. Taking off his jacket, he wrapped the newborn around in it, trying to wipe off as much blood and guts as he could. He quickly handed the baby to her mother, who was still losing much blood.

“Rian,” she whispered. She then turned to the toddler who was napping beside her. She stretched out her arm and nudged him.

“Kanto,” she poked. “Kanto, wake up and look at your new sister...” 

The world started to get dizzy for the woman, she couldn’t even tell if her older son was awake. Knowing what was coming, she motioned Tankun over to deliver a final message.

“Protect... them...” she struggled to say. Tankun grinned.

“I already promised you i’d protect these kids,” he softly told her. “We’re Earth Nation, we’re too stubborn to go back on a promise.”

The woman smiled, then withered away. The toddler, now known as Kanto, woke up now, and started shaking his mother.

“Mama?” He asked the lifeless body. Perhaps he was to ignorant to completely understand the situation, or maybe he understood more than he thought. He turned to Tankun.

“Where’s mama?” he asked, confused and scared, and about to continue his crying. Picking up the baby Rian, he brought Kanto in for a hug.

“Your mama’s gone,” he quietly explained to the boy. “But it’s okay, because i’m gonna take care of you now, okay?”

Kanto nodded his head, and hugged Tankun. He then stood up, bended a shallow hole under the woman, and gave her a quick burial. He took some more scrap metal, and bended a tombstone where the grave was. Now, he took Kanto by the hand, turned around, and never looked back.

~~~

_Four years later..._

~~~

A gruff figure grunted as he entered the gala, two small figures clutching his side. He had gained some weight as he became increasingly inactive over the years, his adorned military jacket barely fitting him. The moment he entered the hall, he was approached by a young man wearing a blue suit and a Republic City Police badge.

“General Tankun, sir.” Mako saluted to the ravaged man He grunted.

“ _Former_ General,” he corrected. “Now, I’m just a simple man with a successful trucking business.” 

Mako looked to the side in a bit of confusion, but didn’t drop his salute. Tankun glared at him until he did. 

“Look, this thing may be in celebration of finally stabilizing the Earth Nation after winning the war, but frankly I think that’s a time a lot of us want to forget...” Tankun now looked over to the ever so beautiful Asami Sato, wearing an elegant red silk dress complemented by a blue, water tribe betrothal necklace. She carried her young daughter in her arms.

He didn’t look at her with lust, like a majority of the room, but with compassion and understanding. She probably didn’t want to be here as much as the next war victim. 

“But sir, you single-handedly saved an entire city, an entire district in Zaofu during the final battle! And that’s just the beginning!” Mako quickly argued, diverting Tankun’s attention. “Surely that’s something to celebra-”

“I couldn’t save their mother,” Tankun quickly retorted, looking away in regret. Fortunately, his kids didn’t notice, but Mako did, and shut up. Tankun walked away to end the conversation, and approached Asami. She turned around and greeted him with a warm smile and an outstretched hand.

“General Tankun,”  
“ _Former_ General”  
“Sorry,” Asami chuckled, Tankun joining her. Noticing the kids sticking close to Tankun, she put down Yasuko and bent down to her level.

“How about you guys get to know each other?” she warmly suggested to her daughter. Yasuko’s face beamed, she loved making friends. The four-year-old quickly turned to Kanto and Rian, who were still staying close to Tankun. She stretched out her hand. 

“Hi! I’m Yasuko Sato! I’m almost four years old, I love to draw, and look at what I can do!” Yasuko bent some fire in one hand, and then the other. The kids close to Tankun looked at her in awe, but not with with just her firebending skills. The baby girl with a full head of messy black hair had it grown out now, and it bared a striking resemblance to Asami’s. She also shared a narrow face with the Sato part of her lineage. She wore a simple, cute little red dress and black flats.

The eldest of the two, Kanto, decided to participate back first. He sported short, black hair styled into a small faux hawk. He was wearing an adorable green suit that complemented his eyes (but he was way too young to understand his dad’s ramblings about fashion). His young face already developing some prominent features, he sported a square jaw common with Earth Nation folk. He decided to introduce himself with a little pizazz as well.

“I’m Kanto, and I can earthbend!” He exclaimed, and bended a small rock from the ground. There were some gasps from the partygoers, so he put the rock back down in embarrassment. Yasuko applauded, genuinely impressed. She didn’t know you could bend with only one hand.

The younger sibling, Rian, now mustered up her courage to join the group as well. She needed a little pushing sometimes, once she was immersed she loved to have fun with everyone else. She sported short, boyish, messy black hair and shared her brother’s green eyes and square jaw. Tankun knew she hated dresses, so didn’t argue with her when she asked to wear a simple button up shirt and green dress pants.

“Hi, I’m Rian!” she exclaimed to Yasuko. She held out her hand to the other girl and blushed a bit in admiration. She grabbed it. “You’re really pretty,” Rian added. She then quickly leaned in close to her, like she was telling a secret. “Also, I can do what my brother just did, but I can do it better.” she whispered, showing off and making sure Yasuko heard the precious secret. Kanto heard it too.

“Hey, I heard that!” he pouted, and then started chasing Rian and Yasuko around with another bended block. One “Kids, either don’t bend or do it elsewhere” comment later, the three new friends went off in a corner and continued their chase (sans bending). 

Finally free, Asami figured she could have an adult conversation with Tankun.

“Lovely kids you have there, I didn’t know you were married.” Asami said, glancing over at the children. 

“I’m not, I found them in Zaofu.” Tankun quickly explained. Asami looked embarassed.

“Ah, sorry! I didn’t mean-”

Tankun laughed. “I don’t take any offense, they’re beautiful kids and we’re all lucky to have found each other,” he said. “Just like I was lucky to meet your dad all those years ago...” Tankun trailed off a bit in thought. 

“By the way, thanks for that start up money. I can pay you back anytime!” he quickly changed the subject. Asami smiled.

“Don’t worry about it, you were my dad’s best friend. Consider it a gift.” She said, patting his shoulder. The two of them looked over to their children, now playing some make believe game. They both laughed and walked over to the group.

“I am Yasuko, ruler of the fruit punch!” Yasuko exclaimed, waving her arms and pretending to be a supreme ruler of whatever she wanted to rule. She _was_ the heir to a large, worldwide corporation after all, so it made sense to start leadership skills early.

The group moved over to the refreshments table, which happened to have some free water bottles (provided by Varrick-Moon Industries). Rian took one and pretended to spray Yasuko with water. Yasuko played along, over dramatically. Rian then blew some air with her mouth and pushed her arms about, saying she was “airbending”. Yasuko continued to play along.

Asami started to notice something then.

“Hey, Tankun,” she poked him to get his attention. “How old is Rian?”

“She’s turning four next week, why?” He responded, a curious look in his eye.

“No reason...” Asami quietly answered. What she didn’t tell him was that Yasuko’s birthday was next week as well...

Kanto joined in as “Her Fruit Punchiness’ Protector” and bended a real, but very small rock. Rian smirked, and bent a small rock of her own. People around them started to get concerned, but Tankun knew his kids wouldn’t go out of line (or else they’d get a boulder from _him_ being hauled at them). Rian threw her tiny rock at her brother, who got hit and pretended to die.

Rian prepared her “final blow” to Yasuko, but in the last second, the ruler of the fruit punch was suddenly “frozen” in ice! How would Rian ever defeat her now! She then pretended to “firebend” to melt the ice. Yasuko the Ruler of the Fruit Punch was knocked down and (pretended) to look scared at her opponent. Rian stood tall and proud.

“You should be scared, because i’m the Avatar and you gotta deal with it!” she proclaimed with pride and a sideways grin.

That’s when it clicked with Asami. She had seen that grin before, tons of times, it was etched into her memory.

It was Korra’s grin.

“Wait, Tankun, _when_ next week is Rian’s birthday?” Asami asked, her voice a little urgent to get the answer.

“Next monday,” Tankun replied, definitely confused but also curious at these questions.

“Thats...”  Asami’s eyes widened in realization. Tankun noticed this, and realized her thoughts.

“Oh come on, Asami, there’s no way...” he said all-knowingly. He also chuckled a bit.

“It makes _sense_ Tankun,” Asami insisted. Tankun sighed.

“Alright, alright, whatever,” Tankun waved it off.

At this point, Rian noticed now that the parents were watching. A little embarrassed, she quickly helped Yasuko and Kanto up.

“Sorry for knocking Yasuko down, Asami.” she apologized. Asami bent down to her level and gave the little girl a look. 

“I never told you my name...” She said, curious. Rian perked up a bit. Tankun jumped in.

“Asami, don’t be ridiculous, of course she knows your name. You’re famous!”

“Wait, you’re famous!?” Kanto and Rian said in perfect unison to Asami and Yasuko. Tankun looked at them, confused, but then started an introspective search into himself to discover why he was so horrible in teaching his kids pop culture.

“Yes, I am, but if you didn’t know that, how did you know my name?” Asami asked. She was trembling a little bit, holding on to the little hope she had.

“I dunno, I just kinda knew?” Rian shrugged, and again sported that familiar sideways grin.

That was Asami’s confirmation. She smiled and rummaged Rian’s hair.

She told the kids to keep playing, and stood up, determined. Tankun still wasn’t convinced.

“Asami, she just started earthbending, no other surprises, trust me, i’d know!” he wined. Asami ignored him. The kids ran off again, and Asami found herself outside the gala, looking longingly at the full moon. She wiped away a single tear and held her necklace tightly.

“You were right, Korra.” she whispered to the calm distance. Asami’s world found noise again.

**Author's Note:**

> The whole spiritbending thing was directly inspired by l-a-l-o-u's Korrasami comic where Korra and Asami visit the Mother of Faces in order to get a baby. I loved the idea, and did my own spin on it. In case anyone reading this hasn’t read the comics, the Mother of Faces is an actual spirit. Go read the comics. :P
> 
> I hope this served as an acceptable preview to Legend of Rian! I WILL be finishing I Can’t Get You Out Of My Hair very soon, hopefully this week, so please look out for it! Thank you all for the continued support. *^*


End file.
